Are Baby Hats a Must for a New Baby?
Any baby looks sweeter with baby ducks along for the ride. When it’s cold outside, hats on everyone is a must to keep stay warm. Significant body warmth is lost through the head when you’re outside on a freezing wintery day. But why is it that newborns wear a baby hat at the hospital? They don’t go outside! And you may also wonder, is it necessary for them to wear hats all the time? This article will make you realize it’s not always necessary.
Newborns wear baby hats for a reason
According to BabyCenter, babies are given a hat immediately after birth because they’ve just come from a warm, moist place and let’s face it, the hospital can be a relatively chilly one! But once they’ve acclimatized to their environment, and certainly when they leave the hospital, a hat isn’t as necessary. Except for looking cute! “’Healthy, full-term infants don’t need to wear a cap once they get home,” says Howard Reinstein, a pediatrician in Encino, California, and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.’ But there is a reason you may want to skip the hat initially and just enjoy your first few minutes together undisturbed, skin-to-skin, enjoying a special time that will never come again.
Skin-to-Skin Bonding is a Reason to Skip the Baby Hat
You know that new baby smell that everyone loves? Well, it helps mothers and babies bond. That smell triggers certain bonding responses in a new mother’s brain. When the mother smells her baby’s scent, that new baby smell very specific to her own child, it triggers a big boost of oxytocin which speeds along the birth process itself. Covering up the infant’s head with a baby hat can change that effect in the first hour or so after birth.
Just let your doctor or midwife know you’d prefer to practice skin-to-skin bonding right after the birth. Your baby will be able to stay warm snuggled up close, and as long as there have been no complications, everyone should be safe and happy. In addition, as further explained by BabyBelly.com, when you are practicing that skin-to-skin contact right after the birth, a hat isn’t needed because the mother’s body warmth will keep the baby’s body warmth regulated. So enjoy those first few moments. There is plenty of time after you get to know each other to don those sweet little hats.
Dress Your Baby in Layers
Once your baby is ready to come home, it’s a good idea to dress them in layers so they can stay warm but you can easily remove a layer or add a layer to assist them in staying comfortable.
If the ambient temperature is below 80 degrees, a hat is a good idea. It’s also a great way to prevent sunburn. But how do you know if baby is too hot? OurEverydayLife recommends you check baby’s hands, feet or back. If they feel cold, add a layer of clothing, a warmer hat, or just a blanket.
Gifts for the Winter Baby
A winter baby can enjoy the luxury of multiple hats, head bands, knitted, crocheted, and soft cotton items to build a truly personal wardrobe. If you’re welcoming a new baby into your home or family this winter, why not choose a variety of colors, textures, and patterns of hats, bibs, and blankets to make the new little one feel welcome?
It’s best to stay away from wool, but cotton, terry, acrylic and linen are perfect. They’re all washable, comfortable and perfect for layering.
Add onesies in both newborn and larger sizes because little ones grow up fast and come Spring and Summer, additional larger pieces will be a welcome addition to the wardrobe.
Jacaranda Living has beautiful, washable, embroidered baby hats, onesies, blankets and booties to keep your baby comfortable, safe and looking sweet all year round.
Sources
http://www.babycenter.com/404_when-can-my-baby-stop-wearing-those-infant-hats_1368473.bc
http://oureverydaylife.com/newborn-need-hat-11369.html
http://www.bellybelly.com.au/baby/no-hats-on-newborn-babies/
http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00597/full
